Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Lowers Stock Holdings in Zoetis Inc. $ZTS

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. trimmed its holdings in shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 79.8% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 70,541 shares of the company’s stock after selling 278,388 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $8,875,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. RFG Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 1,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $215,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership lifted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 2,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $302,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 2.4% during the third quarter. Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,672 shares of the company’s stock valued at $537,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. now owns 1,904 shares of the company’s stock valued at $240,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. lifted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 4.4% during the third quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 2,043 shares of the company’s stock valued at $299,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Zoetis Price Performance

Shares of ZTS opened at $76.42 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $32.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 3.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $103.52 and a 200 day moving average of $116.71. Zoetis Inc. has a twelve month low of $72.38 and a twelve month high of $172.23.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.60 by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $2.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.30 billion. Zoetis had a net margin of 27.80% and a return on equity of 66.85%. Zoetis’s revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.48 EPS. Zoetis has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.850-7.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. Zoetis’s payout ratio is 35.16%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Frank A. Damelio bought 6,650 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $75.39 per share, with a total value of $501,343.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,617,718.62. This trade represents a 44.91% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Paul Bisaro bought 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $75.88 per share, with a total value of $151,760.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 27,862 shares in the company, valued at $2,114,168.56. This trade represents a 7.73% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders purchased 11,650 shares of company stock valued at $886,384. Company insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of Zoetis in a report on Friday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Zoetis from $190.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Zoetis from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Zoetis from $145.00 to $112.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Argus reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Zoetis has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $133.92.

Zoetis News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Zoetis this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms issued reminders and deadline notices tied to an ongoing securities fraud class action against Zoetis, alleging investors were harmed by false or misleading statements during the Jan. 14, 2025 to May 6, 2026 period. These headlines can weigh on sentiment because they raise legal overhang and potential financial/reputational risk.
• Negative Sentiment: Zoetis was reportedly downgraded after a steep broader market selloff, signaling weakening near-term sentiment from Wall Street and adding to pressure on the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: A bearish article highlighted lawsuits challenging the company’s companion-animal outlook, suggesting investors may be questioning growth assumptions for a key business segment.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zoetis presented at the 46th Annual William Blair Growth Stock Conference, which may help investors gauge management’s outlook and strategy, but no major new catalyst was highlighted in the transcript headline.
• Neutral Sentiment: One valuation-oriented piece argued Zoetis could be a deep-value opportunity with significant upside, which may support longer-term sentiment but is unlikely to outweigh today’s legal and rating-related headlines.

About Zoetis

Zoetis Inc (NYSE: ZTS) is a global animal health company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of products and services for companion animals and livestock. The company’s offerings include pharmaceuticals, vaccines and biologics, parasiticides and anti-infectives, as well as diagnostic instruments, consumables and laboratory testing services. Zoetis serves the veterinary community, livestock producers and other animal-health customers with products designed to prevent, detect and treat disease and to support animal productivity and welfare.

Zoetis traces its roots to the animal health business of Pfizer and became an independent, publicly traded company following a 2013 separation and initial public offering.